The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Monday that two senior corporate in-house counsel at energy giant Shell USA, a long-time corporate lawyer at global chemical conglomerate LyondellBasell and top lawyers at two of Houston’s leading educational institutions are recipients of the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.
During the next week, ACC Houston and The Lawbook will unveil the 2026 award winners in 17 different categories.
“The Houston Corporate Counsel Awards celebrate the exceptional legal talent driving business success across our city, honoring the in-house counsel who work tirelessly behind the scenes to protect and advance the companies and communities that make Houston thrive,” said ACC Houston President Emily K. Shields. “When accomplished lawyers take time to nominate a peer, it speaks volumes about the standard of excellence this recognition represents.”
The Lawbook and ACC Houston received more than 80 nominations. A dozen past Houston Corporate Counsel Award recipients served as judges, reviewing the nominations and selecting the winners. The awards recognize the extraordinary successes of corporate in-house counsel during the past 12 to 18 months.
The 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award recipients include:
- General Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit or Governmental Agency goes to Rice University GC Omar Syed, who was nominated by Bracewell Partner Alamdar Hamdani.
- Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit or Governmental Agency is being awarded to Houston Methodist Hospital Labor and Employment Legal Counsel Marissa Marquez, who was nominated by Jackson Walker partner Sang Shin.
- Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service Award goes toLyondellBasell Lead Counsel Dave Louie, who was nominated by Vinson & Elkins partner Quentin Smith, and Shell USA Senior Litigation Counsel Sara Keith, who was nominated by Porter Hedges associate Joanna Caytas.
- Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion is being awarded to Shell USA Senior Counsel Cisselon Nichols Hurd, who was nominated by Shell Legal Counsel Ryan Boutet.
ACC Houston and The Lawbook have partnered on the Houston Corporate Counsel Awards since 2019. The 2026 awards ceremony will be May 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Houston.
“ACC Houston is proud to partner with The Texas Lawbook on the Corporate Counsel Awards to honor the exceptional legal work and leadership of in-house counsel throughout the Greater Houston area,” said Exxon Mobil Senior Counsel Latasha McDade, who serves as membership chair of ACC Houston. “The award winners are truly deserving of this recognition, and ACC Houston is delighted to celebrate them on this special occasion.”
Texas Lawbook publisher Brooks Igo said the 2026 award recipients “represent the best of the best and demonstrate the great value that Houston in-house counsel add to their company’s leadership and objectives.”
“This year’s candidates continue to raise the bar of what in-house counsel success looks like,” Igo said. “The Lawbook will publish in-depth profiles of each of the award winners over the next six weeks.”